Happy Mother’s Day!
We wish all mothers a very happy Mother’s Day!
From Sunday, May 13, through Monday, May 21, we will remember at dailyMass all mothers, living and deceased, in our Mother’s Day Novena.
We take this special occasion to say “thank you” and pray that God will always cherish those who gave us life.
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, a holy day of obligation, will be celebrated on Thursday, May 10.
Our regular weekday Mass schedule will be in effect: 7:00, 7:45, 8:30, 11:30 AM; 12:30, 4:30 and 5:30 PM.
The 4:30 and 5:30 Masses on Wednesday, May 9, will also fulfill the obligation.
Evangelii Gaudium: Chapter 4, The Social Dimension of Evangelization
“Our relationship with the followers of Islam has taken on great importance, since they are now significantly present in many traditionally Christian countries, where they can freely worship and become fully a part of society. We must never forget that they ‘profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, who will judge humanity on the last day.’
The sacred writings of Islam have retained some Christian teachings; Jesus and Mary receive profound veneration and it is admirable to see how Muslims both young and old, men and women, make time for daily prayer and faithfully take part in religious services. Many of them also have a deep conviction that their life, in its entirety, is from God and for God. They also acknowledge the need to respond to God with an ethical commitment and with mercy towards those most in need.”
The Via Lucis: The Stations of the Resurrection
On Fridays during the Easter season we will celebrate the Via Lucis or Way of Light after the 12:30 and 5:30 Masses in place of the Stations of the Cross.
The Via Lucis consists of 14 “Stations” which recount the Easter story from the Resurrection to Pentecost.
Please join us for this beautiful Easter devotion!
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The Pastor’s Corner – May 13, 2018
This past Thursday we celebrated the Ascension of the Lord, but when you look at today’s Gospel, it seems that Jesus hasn’t ascended yet because this is Jesus’ final prayer for his followers. It is a beautiful prayer, filled with Jesus’ love and concern for his disciples. Jesus asks the Father to protect us and he wants us to share in his joy completely. He is also realistic because he says that the world has a hatred for those who follow him. In spite of this, Jesus concludes by saying that he wants us “in the world”, a world that needs his message and yet will resist it. We have all experienced this, yet we have to remember that this is where Jesus wants us… because we have his message which he has entrusted to each of us. He trusts us and believes in us.
On this Mothers’ Day, the Friars and Staff of St. Francis, wish all Mothers, Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers, and the Motherly, a blessed and happy day. Our prayers are with you and we are grateful for all that you do for us.
Please keep us Friars in your prayers. At the end of this month our six Provinces (geographical areas in the United States) will vote on whether to become one Province or not. It is a big decision. Your prayers are appreciated!
-Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.
LGBT+ MINISTRY SOCIAL!
The LGBT+ Ministry of St. Francis of Assisi is meeting up for a happy hour to celebrate the start of the weekend!
FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2018 at 6:30pm
The Polynesian
Pod Hotel Times Square
400 W 42nd St, 3rd Fl,
New York, NY 10036
Enjoy Tiki drinks with Ministry members and other Catholic LGBT and ally brothers and sisters.
Feel free to bring friends! As always, ALL ARE WELCOME.
Please follow us on Facebook to get updates on where we will be meeting inside the Polynesian.
May: Mary’s Month
In ancient Rome, the beautiful month of May was dedicated to the goddess Flora, the patroness of flowers and new life. May 1 was considered the beginning of abundant growth, and a day for public festivals aimed at expelling winter. Even after Christianity took hold, the customs of the pagan feast lingered behind.
Long ago, there was a thirty-day devotion to Mary, sometimes called “Lady Month,” which began on August 15. By the eighteenth century, the custom of assigning devotions to months of the year was developing. June, for example, was the month of the Sacred Heart, and October was for the Holy Rosary. Beginning with the Jesuit Order in Rome and spreading throughout the world, May has been celebrated as the month of Mary, the Blessed Mother, for more than two hundred years.
That was a welcome remedy to some enduring pagan practices, such as maypole dancing and the crowning of the May Queen. Some historians say that in ancient times the May Queen was actually a human sacrifice. Devoting May to Mary is undoubtedly a better thing to do.
Evangelii Gaudium – Chapter 4, The Social Dimension of Evangelization
“An attitude of openness in truth and in love must characterize the dialogue with the followers of non-Christian religions, in spite of various obstacles and difficulties, especially forms of fundamentalism on both sides. Interreligious dialogue is a necessary condition for peace in the world, and so it is a duty for Christians as well as other religious communities.
This dialogue is in first place a conversation about human existence or simply a matter of ‘being open to them, sharing their joys and sorrows.’ In this way we learn to accept others and their different ways of living, thinking, and speaking. We can then join one another in taking up the duty of serving justice and peace, which should become a basic principle of all our exchanges. A dialogue which seeks social peace and justice is in itself, beyond all merely practical considerations, an ethical commitment which brings about a new social situation. Efforts made in dealing with a specific theme can become a process in which, by mutual listening, both parts can be purified and enriched. These efforts, therefore, can also express love for truth.”
